Films

Elvis' Impossible Dream

Curiosities about Elvis.
Elvis Presley always confessed his most important wish in life... a wish that could never be fulfilled as he wanted, that of being an actor since he began his career and his success as a singer. Since then, It would be one of his greatest desires, when he started it was the most important thing for him, but the truth is that he left all his power of action to his manager, Colonel Parker. His ability and motivation were great, all his colleagues of filming and directors speak of an innate talent and the possibility of being able to develop a film career, they said of him that he could really become a great actor. But over time the mismanagement of his manager made him lose that initial path that he would have followed successful on your part. The reason was very simple, it was an economic issue, since Colonel Parker realized that the movies gave him a great benefit. If they were not very expensive, the profit was even greater and this would unfortunately have serious consequences on the quality, the script, the chosen music and above all to the detriment of its protagonist, Elvis Presley.

The beginning would be interesting and with great possibilities with films like Love Me Tender (1956), Loving You (1957) Jailhouse Rock (1957) King Creole (1958)... It seemed like a big open door was opening for Elvis in the movie world, it was a good time to choose good scripts. But the main problem was that the film was dramatic and didn't give the same benefits as the films with songs... Over time Elvis had the opportunity to play other types of roles that seemed dramatic, with scripts that would be worthy of first performance than for Unfortunately they were rebuffed by Colonel Parker.
You would see a big difference in the money coming in between the two types of musical or dramatic movies and this would have the consequence of losing direction in this field for Elvis as an actor. The main problem is that he didn't personally make the decisions either and was misguided by his manager. For example, the role of Tony in the movie West Side Story, which would be rejected on the advice of the Colonel, which continues to be one of the most famous musicals of all. the times, Roles in more serious works, not musicals, were also rejected, in any case the opportunity was lost due to lack of decision and the hand of Tom Parker.
Elvis demonstrated his talent in several movies, both dramatic and comedic, and obviously with a good story he could have changed his future. In addition to having the particularity of learning in an easy and fast way so he could have grown as an actor. His ability to learn not only his character but many of the dialogues of the rest of the cast. The illusion that acting always represented ,, .. over time was changing and degenerating into boredom and disappointment due to the poor quality of his films. He became sick with despair because of this, but it was something so intimate and personal that he would not confess it until years later in an interview conducted in 1972, during the filming of the documentary film "Elvis on Tour", in which he would explain all this. . A wasted talent throughout these years locked up in a kind of showcase,... in films with simple plots and almost non-existent direction,... and their characters, which in some cases could be very interesting, lost all their meaning without argumentation to develop.
The impossible dream of being a great actor would become a frustration for Elvis.

FROM TUPELO TO MEMPHIS

"Following the path of the King..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOt-0Xk9Ins

The Artist's Dream
"LOVE ME TENDER" 1 Film

The first film with which Elvis would begin to work as an actor was the film "Love me Tender". On August 20, 1956, Elvis began his first day as an actor, on the Twentieth Century-Fox film set. His first film was initially going to be titled "The Reno Brothers". Elvis was contracted to make several films with Paramount, but Colonel Parker had included a clause so that he could work with other studios. These days Elvis met the one who would become being a great friend, Nick Adams, actor in the movie Rebel Without a Cause. He was really excited about the new film, everything was underway, photography would begin two days later and work on the soundtrack. Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D.J Fontana had come to Hollywood, because the idea was to accompany him on the film and also make session recordings for RCA. But they were rejected by the musical director with the excuse that they did not give the type or style that was required for the film.

But actually it was all set to record with Richard Cornell on drums, Mike "Myer" Rubin on bass, Vito Mumolo on guitar and Rad Robinson, Jon Dodson with Charles Prescott on vocals, with Elvis on lead. So Elvis would find himself working with strange studio musicians and in an awkward situation, although the Colonel arranged for him to receive co-writing credit. Although the recording would turn out well and Elvis was ultimately happy, he was upset that the musicians were turned away from him for no real reason, he was disappointed to include a song. His idea was to throw himself into the character and act, not to use this in another way.

He was so excited about acting that he learned all the lines in the movie. The theme song "Love Me Tender" was based on an Aura Lee song, a Civil War ballad, which Ken Darby adapted and rewrote. the filming of the film, Elvis would make his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, on September 9, in which he sang the song "Love me Tender" for the first time. Also Steve Sholes, his producer, was being pressured to record more material to publish a second album and the studio sessions would take place from September 1 to 3, at Radio Recorders, Hollywood. Elvis's role in the film was expanded, since he only had a few lines and became a little bigger, although when he read the script of what was going to be filmed he regretted it, because his character died when final.

His role was not entirely to his liking because he was an antihero and it was not his expected role, in addition to falling in love with the actress Debra Paget whom he already knew from the Steve Allen Show, but she did not pay any attention to him because she was dating Howard Hughes. The film had no plans to add songs, until Elvis joined the project. But the Colonel was very clear about the promotion that the movies would give to his songs and at all costs he would include this condition so that he could benefit from the profits from the records. Although Elvis was initially led to believe that he would not sing in the film, this was a real deception, because he thought it would be in the background. Four songs composed by Ken Darby were finally included, but he gave the rights to his wife Vera Matson, who she would be the one listed as a songwriter with Elvis who received co-writing credits and publishing royalties. Elvis was upset and disappointed to be forced to sing four songs he didn't agree with, the only one he liked was the title ballad, which ultimately changed the film The movie "Love Me Tender" was shot at Twentieth Century-Fox Ranc in Malibu Creek State Park and in the San Fernando Valley. It would be produced by "Rebel Without a Cause" producer David Weisbart and directed by veteran Robert Webb.

Elvis would win the affection of all the members, actors, etc. of the set for his charm and humility. The image of him from within him had nothing to do with what they said about him and this brought him closer to the whole team. Elvis would get very nervous during the filming takes, but he got into his character as much as he did into his music. in which the character of Elvis appears as a ghostly presence singing the title song. Elvis attended a private preview at Loew's State Theater in Memphis on November 20, 1956, accompanied by his parents and June Juanico. The film premiered at the Paramount in Times Square in New York City on November 15, 1956. There was a queue of 1,500 fans eager to buy their ticket, they had been queuing since the night before, and there was also a figure in the theater. of Elvis 50 feet tall. An impressive publicity, which would pay off since in its first week, the film made $540,000. collection, this was only surpassed by the movie "Giant". It ended the year as the 23rd highest-grossing film. Although the press was not entirely friendly, they joined in their scathing criticism of Elvis's performance, because at this moment the self-righteous protest about Elvis's effect on the Nation's youth was what was being criticized, no matter the role in the movie.

His dream had become real, but it was not what he was expecting

"Following the Path of the King..."

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LOVE ME TENDER Film.
Premiere November 21, 1956.

The premiere of the film would give much to talk about, a great stir in New York, it was held on November 15, 1956. More than 1,500 fans gathered at the doors of the New York Paramount, just to see the first showing. It was quite an event, but the premiere was even more so. The Film "Love me Tender" directed by Robert Webb and made for 20th Century Studios. The publicity was very important, days before the Premiere a gigantic image of Elvis was hung in the Theater where the film was going to premiere. On the 21st it premiered at Memphis' Loew's State and across the country in more than 550 theaters. It would be the event of the moment, eclipsing other films that were also released at the time, such as "Bus Stop" or "The Temptation lives upstairs". The collection was an absolute success, Variety cataloged it as astronomical and with excellent profits, matching blockbusters such as "Gigante" and "The Ten Commandments", also released recently. The call of the Imam Elvis was so great that no one gave up seeing him in his first film and of course, although there were only four songs, they also wanted to listen to him and see him sing. The commercial success of the film had swept and captivated young and old, even in spite of criticism for his way of moving, etc. The criticisms of his interpretation were diverse, although they were mostly bad, they were very respectful of his performance. Some good, others took the opportunity to describe his excessive interest in acting as if it were something that could spoil his image, as if the role of him was taken the same as "Gone with the Wind". There was everything, even comparisons with Brando, with James Dean, they wondered "Who is the new hero? It was said that he knew how to act, even if he didn't say a word. the same, as if it were a concert, every time Elvis came on stage, the screams covered the dialogues, preventing his interpretation from being really appreciated.The film reached the 23rd position of the films in 1956. in November. Only in the first week it raised more than $540,000 and from the second week, it would be the second in sales.
The beginning was very important, but it is true that for Elvis it would be a great disappointment, first of all because he would not want to have sung in it and by the performance of the public. His mother, Gladys, cried at the end of the film, because Elvis died and this made him decide not to choose any script in which he had to die.
This on the one hand was somewhat absurd, since what if I gu ions were good, if his character was interesting, it would be wrong to reject him, but Elvis was still very young and his mother was holy. Elvis said "I won't make it because they'll never hear me, they're always screaming." Although he loved his fans very much, he felt that he could not do things freely, not at his concerts, nor on TV and of course the greatest wish of him. It is evident that his interest in the cinema was so great, that he would not give importance to his way of acting, he wanted to be a true actor and it was clear that he was a raw mineral, but it was still only the beginning. .
But the truth is that Elvis didn't like to hear anything, good or bad, because he was embarrassed by his acting, although what he really said was that he didn't want to take acting classes because he wanted to be himself. This on the one hand was good, but on the other hand his potential would have been enriched in such a way that he would surely have been able to win and give up the film proposals so weak that it would be the consequence of the easy success of musical films. of the. It was a gold mine and of course it was going to be used in the future. Everything was yet to be written, but Elvis's attitude and decision would be vital to take a good Camino or get carried away.

"Following the Path of the King..."

LOVE ME TENDER

First film starring Elvis Presley, released on November 21, 1956

LOVING YOU 2 Film by ELVIS PRESLEY

Opening in Memphis on July 9, 1957 Strand Theater. Opening National: July 30, 1957
Gross: $3,700,000

The week of January 14, 1957, rehearsals begin to make the film "Loving You", at Paramount, at the same time that the songs and the soundtrack are being recorded. The production of the film would begin a week later, on Filming begins on January 21, 1957, and ended on March 8. The film was made in color. The film was shot at Paramount Studios, except for the scenes at Jessup's farm, which were filmed in the Hollywood Hills. The film originally had three titles: "Lonesome Cowboy", "Something for the Girls" and "Running". Wild". As at the beginning of January it had not yet been decided which one it would be, Ed Sullivan named "Running Wild" when saying that Elvis was going to film a new movie, when he made his last appearance on his show. Once the recordings and filming began, it was decided to change the title definitively to coincide with the Leiber & Stoller song "Loving You". In the film his parents, Vernon and Gladys, would appear as extras at a time during a performance by Elvis himself. Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D.J Fontana, also acted as musicians and even had some phrase in dialogue since they were the members of the company. Dolores Hart made her debut as an actress in this film, also singing, she would also appear in another Elvis film "King Creole". The great actress Lizabeth Scott was very popular as an actress and singer, considered one of the most emblematic femme fatales of black cinema the 1940s and 1950s. In this film, Elvis looks natural and his performance is good, in one of the moments when he is honest with the character of Glenda and tells her the true story of Deke Rivers, he shows a promising future as actor. Elvis had an innate potential to interpret that he could demonstrate with good films, good arguments, although in this film the story was very simple and did not have a great plot development.

The film includes several songs in which we can witness the genuine Elvis of the moment, just as he drove his audience crazy. Since this film could describe something similar to Elvis's rise in his own career and the handling of his manager, represented by Glenda in the film. The character of Elvis was a sensitive and lonely man, who was looking for friends, loyalty or a family. The script of the film was adorned with joy, through the songs that are going to be adapted to the story, in order to contrast with the somewhat dramatic story of his character. The numbers that Elvis performed were magnificent interpretations of the moment that could be performed in concert. Elvis had moments that would remain in the viewer's memory, such as the interpretation of "Mean Woman Blues", his fight in a cafeteria or when he sings "Teddy Bear", so his fans flooded his house with teddy bears. the filming Elvis feels very comfortable with the scene partners, mainly with the actor Wendell Corey, who gave him a lot of professional advice (his influence was such that he later named his cat after him).
He also with the young actress Dolores Hart, with whom he would have a short relationship later, with her he also played in his best film "King Creole". Although before he noticed a supporting actress named Yvonne Lime, with whom he would also go out, he said she was a very funny girl. In general, Elvis had a pleasant few days in this filming and went out a lot in Hollywood, at this time also with Rita Moreno. Elvis immediately joined the atmosphere of Hollywood, but Scotty, Bill with whom he had shared so many adventures and so many roads, were not comfortable there at all. They felt displaced and also ignored. The reason is that they were no longer the usual circle with Elvis and it was very difficult to get close to him, because at all times there was always someone involved. The Colonel made things more and more complicated due to his conditions and Elvis did not seem to be upset with this distance, nor did he ever do anything to remedy it. So it was even more painful, but this would continue from then on.
The film would be well received by the public. It was released nationally on July 30, 1957, reaching number 7 in the National Box Office Poll. of varieties, staying on the list for four weeks. The soundtrack of the film was recorded from January 15 to 18, 1957 at the Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage, later two more sessions were held at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on 12, 13 and January 19, also from February 23 to 24. 7 songs composed expressly for the film by Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music were performed. Criticism was mixed, but generally acceptable in the face of Elvis Presley's performance. Variety wrote a rave review, singling out Elvis saying "he shows improvement as an actor...to be surrounded by a capable team of performers." The New York Times criticized his performance: "Paramount's Loving you, starring America's favorite hound-dog screamer..." etc.
Regardless of the reviews, audiences liked and wanted more Elvis. His character of Deke Rivers in search of true friendship, love... would be the reflection of that child who is abandoned without a family and looks for a new one. In any case, his character had a lot in common with the life of Elvis Presley, his rise to fame and also with his royal quest for recognition and love."

Following the Path of the King..."

Hall Wallis Producer of the Elvis films

Film producer.
He began his work in the advertising department of Warner Bros. in 1923, but would become a film producer, since initially he was in charge of production tasks to become head of production at Warners. Throughout his fifty long years as a film producer, he was involved in the making of more than 400 feature films. Among the many notable films he produced, "Casablanca" stands out, one of the most important films in Hollywood history. Thereafter he worked as an independent producer, enjoying considerable success, both commercially and artistically. His highest-grossing films would come with the comedies by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, the films made with Elvis Presley or, for example, "True Grit" from 1969, in which John Wayne received an Oscar for best actor. Hal Wallis received a total of 16 Oscar nominations for best film, winning the award for Casablanca in 1943. For the consistent quality of his productions, he was twice awarded the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award. He himself was nominated for seven Golden Globes, winning twice for Best Picture. In 1975 he was rewarded with the Cecil B. DeMille Award dedicated to his film career. With Elvis Presley he saw a gold mine, he knew that his films would make a lot of profit, regardless of the chosen scripts and music.

Hal Kanter . Director

Hal Kanter was a writer, producer, and director, primarily for comedic actors like Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, and Elvis Presley (in LovingYou and Blue Hawaii), for both feature films and television. Kanter helped Tennessee Williams turn Williams' work into the film version of "The Rose Tattoo." He was regularly credited as a writer for the Academy Awards telecasts. Kanter was also the creator and executive producer of the television series Julia.

Dolores Hart

In 1956, under the stage name "Dolores Hart", she worked as a supporting actress in the film Loving You (1957), playing the role of Elvis Presley's suitor. She began to be called from then on for several films, making two before acting again with Elvis in 1958, in "King Creole". At this time she would maintain a relationship with him, but it would last a long time. She later made her debut on Broadway, winning a World Theater Award, as well as a Tony Award nomination for Best New Actress for her role in "The pleasure of his company". In 1960 she played the lead female role in the movie "Where the Boys Are". She is a promising actress although with always very soft roles, she starred in four more films, in one of them she played the role of Lisa, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In 1961 she had a role playing Santa Clara in the film "Francisco de Asís" by Michael Curtiz. It is believed that from then on she decided to change her life, discover her religious vocation. Although she still worked until 1963, after she decided to leave the cinema she became a nun at the Benedictine abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, becoming abbess of the monastery.

Wendell Corey

American actor and politician. He was president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was a board member of the Screen Actors Guild. Although he began to act in 1938, as an actor playing small roles, it would be in 1947, when he was already able to play more important roles alongside artists such as Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Montgomery Clift, etc. But always as a supporting role or co-star with Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, etc. Corey had one of his most memorable roles when he played Lieutenant Thomas Doyle in "Rear Window" (1954) starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Corey was president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963 and was a member of the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild. Political weight gave rise to Republican activism in national politics as early as 1956, Corey was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in April 1965. The conservative politician ran for a California seat in the United States Congress in 1966, but lost the primary elections. He was still a councilor at the time of his death.

Lizabett Scott

Actress and singer, known in the decades of the 40s and 50s. Known in the film noir stage. Already in 1946, she obtained her first film success with a colorful role in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (The strange love of Martha Ivers ), directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin and Kirk Douglas. She had roles worth remembering, for example in "Dead End" with Humphrey Bogart and directed by John Cromwell. She had a strange beauty and a hoarse voice that made her suitable for thrillers, roles of femme fatale or mystery, even singing in roles in nightclubs. He has acted with greats of the moment such as Burt Lancaster, Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas or Robert Mitchum among others, he was also the absolute star of films such as "Too Late for Tears" (1949), "Desert Fury" (1947 ) or "The Company She Keeps" (1951). In this film and off the set, a good relationship with Elvis is evident, with whom he would share many moments.

"LOVING YOU "

Second film made by Elvis Presley as a leading man for Paramount, in 1957

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The Consecration of the Idol
"Jailhouse Rock" Third Film 1957

The third film Elvis Presley was to make would be one of the best films he was to perform in and with a particularly special film.
a particularly special film.
The recording of the songs began on April 30 and the filming in May 1957.
The film was particular, because his character would be that of an antihero, this caused a scandal for the society, since his character was a convict, who becomes the hero of a movie story.
Although in the film, Elvis killed a man, he also cursed and in one scene he goes out with the protagonist on a bed. But it was also a kind of challenge about the bad boy reputation of Elvis. But the important thing is that for his fans it was a wonderful film, despite the critics .

The initial project between Colonel Parker and the production company was to give him the title of "The Rock", but later, MGM wanted the film to be called "The Hard Way", then it was renamed "Jahouse Kid" to finally be titled "Jailhouse Rock".
Curiously Elvis used the dressing room that MGM had assigned to Clark Gable, when he replaced the principal photography on May 13, 1957.

Elvis had a new contract to make a film that the Colonel had tapped out of Paramount. The new film would be negotiated with MGM, the contract with Paramount allowed a film to be made outside the production company.It was the first film Elvis would make with MGM.
For this, they did not want the same mistakes that occurred in "Loving you", in relation to the recordings, so that neither Elvis nor the musicians, were overwhelmed to record in two places and so much fatigue. That's why it was requested as a condition to record in only one place and in this way what Elvis and his accompanists had to record, would have a logical schedule so that no one would be exhausted. Everything would be recorded in Radio Recorders for their comfort and above all to be able to have more ease in relation to the production and inclusion in the film.

Four scenes with songs were planned to be included in the film and scripts were sent to all of Hill & Range's principal writers so that they could compose appropriate music.
Leiber and Stoller were very impressed by the profits they had made on the two previous songs recorded by Elvis and were asked for two songs. They were set up in a room in New York, but a joke was played on them by telling them that they would not leave there without having composed four songs. They had also proposed Sid Tepper and Roy Bennet, McCoy and Owens, who had also composed on "Loving You," to do the rest of the songs. Hill & Range would get MGM's approval before sending it to RCA, provided Elvis and the Colonel approved them.

The film had several talents, such as the screenwriter Nedrick Young who had already won an Oscar for "The Defiant Ones", also the composers Leiber and Stoller who were already well known, the producer Par Berman who had 3 Oscar nominations and launched the careers of many artists in Hollywood, etc.
Choreographer Alex Romero, who took advantage of Elvis' natural way of moving to choreograph the sequence of the song "JailHouse Rock". Although he had initially planned a different dance, as Elvis was not a dancer, he had to adapt his movements to the general dance of the sequence. Gene Kelly who was in the studio to see part of the filming, applauded Elvis after seeing the test run of the sequence, he knew it was going to be a hit.
Actually the film was very modern for the time and is considered as a model of inspiration for the music video genre.
Other curiosities of the film, the composer Mike Stoller, appears as a pianist in some cameo and Scotty, Billy and Dj, his musicians also appear in the film.
After finishing the filming, the protagonist Judy Tyler and her husband, would have an automobile accident in which they would lose their lives, for this reason, Elvis would be very sad to see her after the premiere.
He saw it for the first time at a special screening with his parents in Memphis, days before its release.
The success of this film was undoubted, as it reached the third highest box office position in the week of its release and would finish as the fourteenth highest grossing film of the year. The total gross would be around $4 million. It would be re-released in March 1960 to coincide with Elvis' return from the army.
In addition to receiving multiple awards more than three decades after its release. Composers Leiber and Soller received an ASCAP award in 1991, for the song "JailHouse Rock", in 2004 the film was included in the National Film Registry by the National Film Preservation Board, etc.
Another curiosity was that
the young dancer and actor in musicals, Russ Tamblyn , visited Elvis, on the night before the shooting of the scene in the penthouse room of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The two immediately hit it off and were practicing the scene where Elvis was to perform his choreography and would eventually perform his part perfectly.

The number of the song "Jailhouse Rock" is considered the first music video in history. Curiously, Elvis had to wear a wig in some of the moments of the film, when he is in jail.
The critics were contradictory with the film, but there were generally positive comments regarding the quality and the interpretation of Elvis, it would be positive despite a minority that still considered him a scandal.
It would be one of the best films Elvis Presley ever made.

This film would be an open door in his filmography, could be a good direction to follow in their intentions to be an actor and turned to his performance. The result is optimal in his acting and if motivation as well.
"Following the Path of the King..."
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Richard Thorpe ((1896/1991)

Director of the film "Jailhouse Rock", with more than 184 films to his credit, he is one of the directors with the most titles. His talent was recognized after the 1930s, after directing several comedies and westerns, he would be hired by the Metro Goldwyn Mayer. He was highly valued by the production company for taking the productions he made below budget, in addition to his talent in directing. Curiously, he did not have a particular type of style, he liked to shoot until the actor met his character and he let it flow, he hardly repeated scenes and despite everything, his technique worked. He would have successes in his extensive filmography as well as on TV, examples are, The Great Caruso (1951), The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), Ivanhoe (1952), King Arthur's Knights (1953), and of course The Rock of the Prison (1957), etc. on TV, examples are, The Great Caruso (1951), The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), Ivanhoe (1952), King Arthur's Knights (1953), and of course The Rock of the prison (1957), etc.

Judy Tyler (1932/1957)

The protagonist of the film, would begin her short career as a chorus girl and her opportunity in Hollywood would come when she was proposed to play the leading role in "Bop Girl Goes Calypso" and later "Jailhouse Rock".
A great acting talent of hers that was unfortunately cut short with her sudden death after finishing the shooting of the film. She and her husband were driving to her house when her car collided with a truck.
She and Elvis had a good friendship and he was so saddened by her death that after the premiere, he was never able to see the film again.

Mickey Shaughnessy (1920/1985)

Actor y cantante, se hizo conocido principalmente por papeles de tipo secundario. Comenzaría como cantante en el mundo del espectáculo y posteriormente como comediante, sus papeles eran un tanto rudos y fuertes, seguramente por su físico.
Papeles que recibieron el elogio de la crítica, un actor con talento. De sus papeles a recordar como por ejemplo en The Marrying Kind, De Aquí a la Eternidad, Designing Woman o Jailhouse Rock, etc.

"The Reality of Dreams"
The realization. "King Creole"

Elvis was so interested in the film that he read the book before filming began. He believed that this role was decisive for him, because he was going to be absent for two years and this worried him.
Elvis had to cut his sideburns and lose eight kilos to characterize himself in his leading role, at the direction of director Michael Curtiz.
Sometimes he did not understand him well because of his Hungarian accent, but from the first moment Elvis told him that he would do whatever the director asked.

On January 13, 1958, Elvis showed up to carry out the pre-production of the film, he was delighted, he arrived with his gang from Memphis to work on the film.
Elvis was enthusiastic and funny but serious about his role, he would show all his interest in acting and follow the advice of his peers and the director.

King Creole is the best considered film in terms of Elvis Presley's filmography, due to a set of factors that would not come together in later films. The direction by Michael Curtiz, a good director.
The script of the film that was better than the previous and later films. The music with great composers and songs appropriate to the story. Good actors who accompanied the cast and a magnificent interpretation of Elvis Presley who turned to his role as Danny Fisher.

Produced by Hal B. Wallis for Paramount Pictures
The story was adapted from Harold Robbins's 1952 novel A Stone for Danny Fisher.
In the film, the role of Danny Fisher changed his character from a boxer to a singer, and the location was changed from New York to New Orleans. The title was changed due to the strength of the film's main theme, which would be "King Creole".
The film was released on July 2, 1958, with a good reception from critics and his performance. Commercially it would also be a success since it reached number five in the position of highest grossing films by Variety magazine.

Regarding the shooting of the film,
King Creole was filmed out of sequence, that is to say that they did not follow a logical temporal order and as a result, this could give rise to small errors, due to the use of postures in the actors, costumes...
When Elvis sings "Don't Ask Me Why" and "As Long As I Have You", the group behind the band pretends to play saxophones, clarinets and trombones, but these instruments were actually over-recorded for the soundtrack since they don't exist. .

Elvis plays an acoustic guitar that should be electric, pretending to play the solo that Scotty Moore is really playing. This is why he turns with a knowing smile to look at him as he touches Scotty.
Filming for some songs was done with almost no close-ups and was done with very few camera angles.
However in "Trouble" close-ups were requested, after the filming of the song had been done.
Obviously for Michael Curtiz this was a serious film and he would not think of it as a musical, but as a story that is adorned with music since the protagonist is a singer.

There were scenes with songs that were filmed but would later be discarded in the film's montage, such as the song "Danny".
"Steadfast, Loyal And True" or "As Long As I Have You" were recorded in the scene where he first meets Carolyn Jones (Ronnie), to choose which was more suitable.
Scenes that were longer were cut, for example the moment when Elvis took Dolores Hart (Nellie) to the hotel room. It would be cut and never published, only a handful of still images remain.

The environment with the actors, director would be the most suitable to play a good role, since Elvis felt really good.
He was invested in his role as Danny, which he played in a very honest and natural way. There was great potential in him and great talent in his way of acting that did not go unnoticed by anyone, both the director and his fellow actors appreciated it.
The cast is made up of good actors like Walter Matthau in the tough role, Dolores Hart as a naive girl, Carolyn Jones as a femme fatale but deep down sensitive, and Dean Jagger as the weak and ineffective father, the same dynamic as in teen-type films of the time.
Actor Walter Mathew described Elvis as very bright as well as being highly intelligent. He understood his character and how to portray him by simply being himself throughout the story. He was not even exaggerated, at all times he was natural.
Carolyn Jones said that she spent the day asking questions, talking about her family and his house. She suggested that to really learn the trade, he should consider taking acting classes.
Elvis was very excited about this film, for him it represented his great opportunity within the cinematographic medium and he believed that from this film everything would be shot.

Elvis put a lot of energy into his role, his interpretation was very natural and his concern to make it all believable. For Elvis it would be a dream come true to be a real actor and he thought that this film would open the doors for him to play serious roles, but unfortunately he had to do his military service soon.
When he finally saw the movie, Elvis was very proud of his performance and he would always say that this would be the best he ever did.
"Following the Path of the King..."

"Live a Little, Love a Little"
FROM TUPELO TO MEMPHIS XXXVII
Listen to the program: https://go.ivoox.com/rf/22010772

1968 Elvis Presley's life continues its course, his change, his artistic evolution is about to give a new direction to his career... he still has to make films,... the recordings of the film "Live a Little love a little ", inevitable changes,,, His life is no longer the same, he is already 33 years old, he has married, he has had a daughter and his ambitions have so far been transformed by others, without wanting to decide or without being able to make a decision ,.. commercial errors are still present and the work of Colonel Parker does not bear fruit,... but the consequences are already a reflection of past acts.... But there is something that is not the same and will not no longer having any ties to the present,... Elvis Presley is no longer the submissive young man who accepts everything without protest, his interior is now stronger and without knowing it he has already launched a new style, a change in his musical spirit that will lead him back to success...

"Following the path of the King..."

"Live a little, Love a little" was the twenty-eighth Elvis film.

Filming began in March 1968.
Elvis's co-star in the film, Michele Carey, plays an eccentric woman who assumes different names and personalities whenever she feels like it, Bernice, Alice, Susie, Betty... and lives in the company of her dog, a Great Dane named Albert who was believed to be a dog that belonged to Elvis in real life named Brutus, but Priscilla stated that the dog was not Elvis's, but an actor dog, specially trained to the movie, which makes us live really funny scenes during the film. As a curiosity, to say that fiction has made this breed of dog, the Great Dane, one of the best known to the general public, thanks to the character, known to everyone from Scooby Doo, a popular American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in multiple versions since its premiere on CBS in 1969. The figure of Scooby Doo could have some inspiration in the character of Albert, since the language of Scooby's gestures often reminds us of Albert...

"Following the path of the King..."

"LIVE A LITTLE , LOVE A LITTLE" 1968

"Live a Little , Love a Little"
A film made from March to May 1968 and directed by Norman Taurog (Chicago, United States, February 23, 1899 - Rancho Mirage, California) Director in several Elvis films, "Blue Hawaii", "Girls, girls girls", "It Happened at the World's Fair" up to nine... this would be the last.
Director who received an Oscar in 1931 for his film Skippy, specialized in films with children as protagonists at the beginning of his career and who in the 50's would make musical-type films with Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin... already in the 60s with Elvis Presley he could have used all his experience in favor of his films, but the scripts were not used or developed correctly... and the direction sometimes was very short. This example is the case in this film, where the character of Nolan played by Elvis Presley could have gotten a lot of comic use out of the dialogue,... a photographer who is looking for a job and in order to be able to interview himself offers himself with the Truth as a prese ntation to hook the businessman... a scene and others from the film that could have been a comedy... that sadly did not develop the story and direction correctly...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urqll6OLxEM

The charm of music in the film "Live a Little , Love a Little"

On March 7, 1968 Elvis Presley recorded four songs for the movie "Live a little, love a little". The four songs were arranged in advance by Billy Strange. For the first time, Elvis was going to record with a full orchestra, this was a challenge for him, which encouraged him to concentrate on these songs. It is important to recognize that each one of them has a special charm and although the film is not very interesting as a whole, they give it a very modern touch in this year 1968.

"ALMOST IN LOVE"
The song "Almost in love", composed by the author Luiz Bonfa. It would be a wonderful song because of its bossa nova air , a style that was not at all common in Elvis Presley 's repertoire . However, the interesting thing here is that Elvis was now recording a song by one of the great songwriters of the style, Luiz Bonfá, He was a Brazilian guitarist and songwriter who was best known for a song that had become well known... for " A Day in the Life of a Fool", a song that had quickly become a jazz standard and author of the hit of the moment the movie theme "Black Orpheus". But "Almost in Love" in the voice of Elvis, is a song with a charm and attraction, which can be even more interesting in a movie, with a melody that stands out and also the sound and the arrangement that was achieved. The song by Luis Bonfá and Randy Starr the instrumental part was recorded on Western Recorders on the 7th and Elvis' voice was added on the 11th. As a single it would be released in September of this year and would only reach number 95 on the charts. The song would be included in the Command performances album and in Double Features of the film... Angeles, accustomed to playing with the likes of Frank Sinatra... The group consisted of Joseph Gibbons, Neil Levang, Charles Britz, Alvin Casey, Larry Knectal, Charles Berghofer, Hal Blaine, Gary Coleman, Don Randi and as backing vocals Bj Baker, Sally Stevens, Bob Tebow and John Bahler. A song that stays in the memory...

"Following the Path of the King..."

Elvis Presley - Almost In Love - YouTube

"Edge of Reality"

The song made for this movie "Live a little love a Little" titled " "EDGE OF REALITY"
Composed by Elvis regulars Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye and recorded at Western Recorders on March 7, 1968. For the dream scene in which Nolan's (Elvis) character's obsession in the film names his protagonist Alice, Bernice...and characters that combine a colorful scene, in the psychedelic style of the time, and with a music very adapted to the moment by these composers who accompanied Elvis Presley in most of his films and who in this song are It would give a current air. This score could have been presented at the Eurovision Song Contest, and at the same time the orchestration and musical direction of Billy Strange that gives the theme a particular sound. It is a very interesting topic at the time, precisely because of the current adaptation mode, adapted to the air of the year 1968, although this did not achieve any success. Elvis Presley's ability would always give his touch to each song even if it was of a different style. It is included as a B-side on the single that would come out later in November of this year, with "If i can dream" and on later LPs , in "Almost in love", in "Elvis'Gold Records Vol.5", in "Command Performances" and in the "Double Features" of the film. Alternate takes were included on FTD's 1999 album "Out in Hollywood",...etc.

Elvis Presley - The Edge Of Reality (Video Edit) - YouTube

Anécdotas en
"Live a Little,love a little"

In the film "Live a little Love a little", whose filming took place from March to May 1968, Elvis had Rudy Vallée as a co-star. Rudy was a well-known actor and singer in the glory years of Hollywood. He was born in the year 1901. At this time he was already a mature actor, he was 67 years old, but he was still very admired and popular. During the filming of the film, a funny anecdote took place. When they were both on the set, suddenly two elderly women started running towards Elvis, who thought, logically, that they were heading towards him. What was his surprise, when the two women pushed him, with such force, that they threw him to the ground. Elvis was perplexed when he realized that the women weren't looking for him, but his co-star Rudy. As he lay on the ground, he watched as the two women ran to get an autograph from Rudy Vallee before getting into his car. Elvis got up and walked over to Rudy and asked him what his secret was to keeping women crazy. And Rudy replied: "sex-appeal, my dear boy...". Elvis left laughing at such a funny situation.

"Following the path of the King..."

On Filming.

"Live Little, love a Little"

1968 During the filming of the movie "Live a little love a little" the actress Celeste Yarnall met Elvis and had a great impression with him, She played a small role during the movie, she played Ellen, she remembered the making of the movie and what it was like to meet Elvis Presley. She liked it so much that she even gilded it, she was shocked and didn't even hear the director say: “Cut!” In her words, she said it was love at first kiss! But besides this they became very good friends. His humanity, his way of being warm, kind and sensitive with everyone he would like and seeing him full of love. Another characteristic that she could see in her personality was how she wanted to please people. In these shocking moments due to the assassination of Martin Luther King, she saw him affected and sad. They watched his funeral together over lunch in his trailer and she would learn even more of his hidden personality. It is true that she saw as the whole world the attractiveness that was already incredible in him and for everyone else it was visible. The image of him captivated him, his deep blue eyes set in a Roman profile. Celeste Yarnall is a talented actress and model, but she didn't really get a chance to do leading roles,... Yarnall's beauty earned her several honors during this period of her career: in 1967, she was selected as 'Deb Star' in the Hollywood Stars of Tomorrow Awards. At the Cannes Film Festival, she was awarded "Most Photogenic Beauty of the Year" by the Foreign Press Corps.
In 1968, Celeste was declared the Most Promising New Star by the National Association of Theater Owners. Celeste went on to make movies like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, The Mechanic, Scorpio, and the horror movies Beast of and Velvet Vampire.
However, when in 1973 she changed her fate and started her own commercial real estate business she specialized in helping entertainment companies either lease or purchase their headquarters. This endeavor was so successful that she started her own firm Celeste Yarnall & AssociatesA talented and beautiful woman.

"Following the Path of the King..."

"A Little Less Conversation"

"A Little less conversation" Song composed by Mac Davis and Billy Strange who would also be the musical director in the film. in 1968. And this is the original theme recorded for the movie "live a little love a little" an incredible song at the time, performed by Elvis Presley for the first time with an orchestra, a new musical vision in his artistic path.
Although he never had to prove anything because he was an excellent singer, Elvis always thrived when there was someone new around and in this case he would have to impress all these musicians.
A song that was written or inspired by Aretha Franklin but later included in this film, in the scene where Elvis shows up at the party with a girl he wants to conquer... Alternate shots....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_wNld8l9Qk

Sue Ane Langdon

1965 . Supporting actresses.

In the year 1965, Elvis worked again with the actress Sue Ane Langdon with whom he had already collaborated in the movie Roustabout. Sue Ane was a well-known actress but in fact for secondary roles and most of them were of a comedic genre. He made his debut as a regular in a television series in 1959, in the "Bachelor Father" Series, with John Forsythe, until 1961. He made his film debut in The Great Impostor (1960), with Tony Curtis.
In 1962, she appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine, announcing her new role as Alice in The Honeymooners, opposite Jackie Gleason, which lasted a year. She became known in the 1960s for her interventions in television series. In the films in which she acted with Elvis, her role was also secondary. In "Roustabout", her role was that of Madame Mijanou, the carnival fortune-teller, who he flirts with Elvis, but it leads him back to Joan Freeman, who was the leading lady. In Frankie and Johnny, she is Mitzi, Frankie's friend, the role of the main girl. Between these two films, she did a Western comedy with Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda, The Rounders, and later appeared with Henry Fonda again in The Cheyenne Social Club, another Western comedy, with James Stewart. She also did the TV series, Arnie, in the early '70s (for which she won a Golden Globe Award). More recently, Sue Ane has appeared in the 1989 film Wierd Al Yankovic, UHF, and in both Zapped! Movies (1982 and 1990). She a talented actress.

"Following the Path of the King..."

Supporting Actresses
Shelley Fabares

Elvis Presley starred in the 1964 movie "Girl Happy." With him co-starred the actress Shelley Fabares. She was an American actress and singer born in 1944 and was known for her role as Donna Reed's daughter on the Donna Reed Show (1958-1963). Her talents as an actress were only appreciated for the performance of small or secondary roles, although in reality she was together with Elvis with whom she had the opportunity to demonstrate her acting as an actress in three of the films her. "Girl Happy", "Spinout" and "Clambake" In 1962, as a singer she would also try her recording of the song "Johnny Angel" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. As an actress she would appear in the 70s in series such as Love, American Style, The Rockford Files, The Interns, Mannix, The Practice, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and Fantasy Island Elvis would confess to being very interested in her, as in most of the actresses he made movies with, but Shelley then began his relationship with music producer Lou Adler and married in June 1964 just as "Girl Happy" was being made so it would be hard to give in to Elvis's charms... or in any case, if there was something, he let it slide. Elvis genius and figure...

"Following the Path of the King..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_o-adbq9h0

Presley, Elvis Presley
Elvis and James Bond

Since 1962, the saga of films inspired by Ian Fleming's novels about James Bond were also liked by Elvis Presley, their influence would be reflected in films of the time, and also the famous theme of its composer John Barry. Elvis liked action movies and the character was also one of his favourites.
The last movie he saw was "The Spy Who Loved Me" on August 10, 1977 at the General Movie Theater in Whitehaven Tennessee. In Elvis Presley's films you can find many scenes that could be from these films, similar in intention, but it is clear that he was not at all the type of character that his manager would have let him play, nor did his scripts go beyond simple stories.
But it would not be strange to imagine that Elvis could have played an excellent Bond. As for the themes chosen as the title of the Bond films, the possibility of choosing a song or proposing it to be able to record the song of the film's intro was considered, but unfortunately it was not so. His friend Tom Jones and many other artists were lucky, since the songs of the James Bond series always become mythical and are hits of the moment. .
FROM TUPELO TO MEMPHIS

"Following the path of the King..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cYSxxqWYP8

Songs to Remember
"Bossa Nova Baby"

A song composed by the great authors Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and recorded in January 1963 at Recorders studios in Hollywood. The song is included in the repertoire chosen for the filming of the Film "Fun in Acapulco" released in November 1963.
Despite being a song that does not have great aspirations, it would become catchy, rhythmic and also remains in the memory of the viewer. for the great interpretation of Elvis on stage. A cheerful and already characteristic composition in this film starring Elvis and Ursula Andress.
It would be released as a Single in October 1963 and would reach number 8 on the American Billboard, on the b-side, with the song "Witchcraft". The song was based on the first version of this theme in 1962 by Tippie and The Clovers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUGLC5MjFl0

From Tupelo to Memphis 18

https://go.ivoox.com/rf/10174965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GanoEE7VUc

Anecdotes about the Roustabout shoot
1964

In some movie you can usually see the beginnings of young artists who are still just extras: In the movie
"Roustabout", a young actress named Raquel Welch, would come out as an extra.
Raquel Welch became famous as an actress and also a sex symbol, she would be nicknamed "the body". (From Tupelo to Memphis 22)
Actress Raquel Welch tells about Elvis... In the year 1964, she was a fan when she was a teenager and even got to see him live when she went to one of his concerts in San Diego in 1956. It was the beginning of Elvis's career, when he was the absolute King of the moment. Like girls her age, she was shocked by his electrifying performance, his voice and his movements... But when she met him on the set of the movie "Roustabout", she saw him differently, as if they had changed him, she already had the same kind of sex appeal.
He was obviously still very handsome and a bit more mature.
The impression of him was very different from the Elvis that he knew years ago on stage. She would describe him as static and clean but distinct. He didn't dress the same, he had dyed his hair black and had it combed back with hairspray.
She didn't move in that attractive and suggestive way either, everything about him was different, but she still wanted to talk to him and get closer. But it was very difficult to get to him, because he was always surrounded by some guys, his friends, the Mafia.
When they gathered the girls who acted in the movie with Elvis to take publicity photos and she was finally able to get close to him. So when he finally entered he saw him charming, with a wonderful smile for everyone. He joked with the boys, the photographer and with them, he said that it was not too difficult to do the scene. So they said, 'We got him, Elvis,' and that was it.
But later, one of her companions approached Raquel and invited her to a party at her house. She felt weird about it, she wasn't sure if it was an invitation from Elvis or from the boys using Elvis. She had had a very strict upbringing, and there was no way of knowing if it was suitable. She didn't like the idea, so she didn't go. She thought that if he thought I was attractive or wanted to see me again, it would have been different. She never exchanged a single word with him... Really Elvis was still very shy, very friendly and above all very professional between takes. You can't help but think he was the real Elvis, the nice, well-spoken, well-educated guy from the south...
One of the reasons Elvis wouldn't have tried to have an affair with Raquel was because since October 1963 he had been seeing Gail Ganley, a dancer from Kissin' Cousins. Besides, Elvis didn't like Raquel very much and there were always too many women around her to consider more trouble...

"Following the Path of the King...

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